Reflections from Italy for the Work Ahead

We have the power to heal the world and we must.

Before leaving on May 16, there was a lot going on: 1) Sip and Swap on May 3, 2) our National Day of Action for campaign finance reform on May 4, and 3) on May 12, I was honored by my high school Ursuline Academy as the 2026 Young Alumna Serviam Award recipient (“serviam” means “I will serve” in Latin), nominated by WWHW leadership team member Tori Chicelero. 

I was also rereading The Prophet’s Way (2004) by Thom Hartmann. It is the most inspirational book I’ve read that validates for me the importance of environmental advocacy (and advocacy to ensure our government actually works for us, such as campaign finance reform). The book is spiritual in nature, stressing a belief that we all chose to be on Earth in this moment with each other to save the planet. If you’re interested in this, I wrote a summary of the book you can read it here. I finished rereading the book in the first couple of days and reflected on the book’s messages throughout the trip.

Milan

Consumerism is rampant. It is killing our planet. It pains me to see so much advertising and “luxury” brand stores (am I saying that right?). Milan has been a fashion and commerce hub for centuries, and yet, I couldn’t help but feel maybe things have become “extra” because of tourists.

“Western civilization . . . has spread across the Earth like an infectious mold across the surface of a ripe fruit. . . The viscera of the Earth is being probed and torn out by ‘civilized’ man in search of minerals and wealth, and the lungs of the Earth are choking with the filth belched forth from “civilized” man’s technology. But most dangerous is that the blood of the Earth, its oil and its water, are being drained out, burned and polluted, and discarded.” (The Prophet’s Way, p. 192-193)

Venice

Tourism is harming communities with beautiful landscapes and even just beautiful “views.” Fortunately, because of the way the streets and “alleys” are in Venice, my husband and I were often able to take side routes that were less traveled. The sheer number of people still had a mental impact. The constant need to navigate around people was exhausting. It helped me understand what both overpopulated cities in countries like China and India experience and the burden that locals in over-touristed cities must feel every day. Every. Single. Day.

“In 2025, only 47,625 inhabitants lived in the center, more than 70 percent less than in 1952. . . Overtourism, with an enormous disproportion between visitors and inhabitants, has significantly lowered Venice’s life quality, and relocating to the mainland appears to be the only feasible solution for many Venetians.” (Venice population, Statistica)

The number of individuals posing for pictures on bridges over Venice canals was eye opening for me; I didn’t realize how many people really do get dressed up and pose for “the ‘gram.” I just kept thinking about the impact of over-tourism on local communities and the planet (and that I was part of the problem being there) and how no one seemed to care or know. The number of people concerned with their image in the digital world more than the in-person beauty of the city and their fellow human was hard.* And then I had compassion and hope thanks to my favorite quote: 

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught,” - Baba Dioum, 1968

Venice is not free from the harms of climate change, either. “A UNESCO report says that along with over-tourism and construction, climate change-induced sea level rise and extreme weather have put Venice's storied old buildings and landscapes at risk. In November 2019, floods endangered historical treasures and buildings. And [in 2023], the city suffered from an opposite problem when severe drought made it impossible for the gondolas to pass through some of the city's canals.” (NPR)

*I’m not saying I didn’t also take photos. Even as I was taking them, I thought about the obsession society now has with photographing our experiences.

Florence

Being in a city that was at the center of the Italian Renaissance and walking by statutes of great minds in art, literature, science, philosophy and more, I was reminded of the power of positive energy, positive thinking, and synergies in a community. I left here hopeful that Women Who Heal the World and related groups of strong women and allies can have a ripple effect through our country the rest of the year and beyond to end fascism, minimize climate chaos, and spread radical love. 

Siena

Touching grass to get "grounded" in good energy at the request of a friend. :)

St. Catherine of Siena was a large part of my interest in visiting here. I read up on her while taking in the sun and drinking a beer in Siena’s Piazza del Campo. 

Catherine was an avid writer with over 400 writings (Britannica), she “ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church,” and was named one of the Doctors of the Church in 1970 (Franciscan Media). Catherine was “a political force with which to be reckoned. Though she had no formal education . . . her letters to monarchs, Church leaders, and others were persuasive. Her activism may have had a role in returning the pope to Rome from France after nearly seventy years" (Franciscan Media). “In 1363, Catherine joined the Third Order of the Dominicans. Thus, she chose a “third way,” the life of the religious lay woman" (Christian History Magazine).

Catherine was a woman with strong convictions who persisted in the face of obstacles to speak her truth - just as we need to do in this critical time on Earth today. In her day, Latin was the primary language for writing, which she did not know, but that did not deter her - she recruited scribes! She essenitally was a badass woman who said, “the church needs to get its act together and I’m not afraid to tell any and everyone how I feel!” I loved also relearning that she wasn’t a nun, but rather a lay woman who advocated for reforms in her religious institution (feels like something many women I know can resonate with, if they are even still associated with a religion). St. Louis has so many, dare I say, ‘badass’ nuns that founded social justice and/or community-oriented all-girls high schools (including my own) and I am pondering how lay women like most of us could potentially work alongside nuns (and other progressive religious women leaders) for the healing we need in the world. 

Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi was a Christian mystic who championed stewarding (not dominating) nature and caring for animals. So, when we decided to go to Italy, we had to go to Assisi. It was absolutely incredible. Little did I know, the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, which houses the tomb of Francis, commemorated the 800th anniversary of Francis’s death this year. Additionally, I learned later, Pope Leo named 2026 the Holy Year of St. Francis to commemorate the 800 years since Francis's passing. The late Pope Francis - who called on the world in 2015 to care for the planet and the marginalized - chose his papal name after St. Francis of Assisi. It was amazing to be in another city where great spiritual energy and progressive ideas originated. 

"Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,

which is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,

through whom You light the night;

and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,

who sustains us and governs us and who produces

varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs." (The Canticle of the Sun, 1225)

Rome

Over-tourism

I felt over-tourism the hardest in Rome. It felt like Disney World in the worst ways. Large crowds everywhere. Tons of people walking in guided tour groups making paths congested and traffic slow. I thought about how much food Rome must have to import from the rest of Italy and elsewhere to feed all these tourists, let alone their own residents. This raised up for me spiritually the importance of talking about how we truly do not have enough resources for people to live the way an increasing number of people are living (thanks to the desire of many people to live like Americans). Yes, resources are being depleted. And also, we never had enough to begin with to have these many people on the planet. This issue is not simply irresponsible use of resources (e.g., not reusing, repairing, recycling, etc.), it is using non-renewable materials in the first place and marketing their use as a feasible and desirable way to live to the entire world (I hope this makes sense). 

“When human populations and their needs outstrip the resources available to them, this cultural viewpoint, most often leads to war and famine. If our standard way of interacting with the world is to dominate and subdue it, then our first response to other people's competing for resources is to dominate and subdue them, too.”  (The Prophet’s Way, p. 204)

“[I]n order to save ourselves and our planet . . . we must transform our consciousness, our culture, and our spirit. As long as our thinking dominates, and we don’t realize that we’re all part of the same existence, there will be no reason for the behaviors to change. . . It will either happen voluntarily, (e.g. we’ll all begin to wake up before it’s too late) or involuntarily (e.g. we’ll find ourselves being swept aside by changes such as massive disruptions in our food, power, water, and communication system systems in the year soon to come).” (The Prophet’s Way, p. 303).

Spiritual Inspiration to Keep Going

I felt the most spiritually inspired in Rome. My husband and I were fortunate that we were able to get into St. Peter’s Basilica for Mass (the name of Catholic church service) on Sunday, May 24, which was Pentecost. Pentecost, in the broadest terms, is a holy day celebrating the power of the Holy Spirit. And Pope Leo said the Mass. Apparently, he only says 15-20 Masses a year at St. Peter's, and we just happened to be in Rome for one, and got in!

If you’re not familiar with Pope Leo (he's been Pope for only 14 months), he has been very outspoken about protecting immigrants and refugees, opposing all war, and on May 25, he published an encyclical (a special letter that only popes can write) about the harms of Big Teach and AI on humanity. So he’s pretty awesome! Here is an excerpt from the Mass for those interested: 

“[T]here are changes that do not bring new life to the world, but make it grow old through error and violence. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit enlightens minds and instills new vitality in our hearts. . . The Spirit . . . always promotes unity in truth, . . . imbues in us understanding, harmony and coherency of life. The [Holy Spirit] protects us from everything that hinders this understanding [of unity founded on the source of love], including partisanship, hypocrisy and fads . . . . Dear friends, with fervent hearts, let us pray today that the Spirit . . . may save us from the evil of war, which is overcome not by a superpower, but by the omnipotence of love. Let us pray that he free humanity from misery, which is redeemed not by immeasurable wealth, but by an inexhaustible gift.” (Pentecost Sunday - Holy Mass, Homily of Pope Leo XIV, 24 May 2026)

Praiano

Watching enormous boats cross the ocean, I thought of the impact that they have on the coasts with their wakes and the less visible impacts of all boating activity - on water quality, on aquatic life, and their fossil fuel use. If you live in Missouri like I do, you know that the Lake of the Ozarks over the last few decades has become a major source of crowds, enormous disruptive boats, and continuous noncompliance with the Clean Water Act’s standards (yuck!). I pondered, if the global population continues to surge, will highly-touristed communities see an impact on their ocean water? I have hope that we and others working to educate, organize, and heal the world can make sure that does not happen. 

I was also grateful to see a community that seems to still have well-balanced tourism. The hotel in which we stayed had been in the owners’ family for decades and you could see how much they cared about their work. 

“[I]f we do our work out of joy, love, and an enthusiasm of the work itself . . . then we’re pumping into the world joy, love, and a general lightening of the vibratory universe we all live in.” (The Prophet’s Way, p. 87)

After Italy - Conclusion

If you made it this far, I appreciate you greatly and hope this fostered reflection for you as well. My hope for the summer, on top of the awesome events we have planned - including Saturday, June 6 - is to meet more of you to talk about taking action for the type of world we want to live in. I’m always looking to connect (in person or virtually) with more women and allies who want to work to improve our world. If this interests you, please reach out: womenwhohealtheworld@gmail.com.

“We don’t need to wait until we’re nominated as Pope or president: tiny acts of mercy, small changes in our lives, gentle transformations in the world, all will affect the entire world-system in ways that are impossible to predict but may have profound and long-lasting impacts. (The Prophet’s Way, p. 256)

I end this with gratitude for the beauty of the sun, the trees, the ocean. Gratitude for this community of women and allies who have hope that together we can ensure a safe, healthy, equitable, loving, sustainable future! Together, I trust we can fight fascism, minimize climate chaos, and spread radical love. 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead